Where Silence Has Lease

DVD, TNG S2 (Where Silence Has Lease)

Stories where a starship gets stuck, be it in space or in a hole, are rarely that entertaining. We watch the crew scrabble around, gradually solving the puzzle, until they find a way out, learn the right way to alter the intermix ratio of the warp engines, or whatever last minute writer's device is used to get us out and back to normal. At least this story does something a bit different - okay, so the idea of a powerful entity playing with the crew as an experiment is hardly original, but it's the way they face death without qualms, and the belief Picard has that death is only the beginning of a new stage of life, beyond what we understand is very close to Christian teaching, which was a pleasant surprise.

The episode has an eventful, but irrelevant teaser about Riker accompanying Worf on one of his daily exercises. It's well shot, atmospheric, although you guess it's on the Holodeck because they aren't carrying phasers, and we've just seen the Enterprise speeding through space. But it's an illuminating sequence that gives us a glimpse of the real Worf that is quite rare to see at this point. It's not clear why Picard would be worried about the escapade, but maybe that was to inject some tension so that we'd assume it's a serious mission. It does flag up the episode's problem of being too slow in places, with that first scene where Picard wanders pensively about the bridge.

The odd events of the main plot do draw the attention and keep you watching, even if the sudden appearance of the Romulan ship is obviously a plant. It's no surprise that we don't get an Away Team to visit that ship, but instead go aboard a ship of the Enterprise's class. Empty vessels, no matter how familiar are always a good choice for drama, in my opinion, and the multiple bridges give us interesting visuals, even if Worf seems to go a bit crazy, a bit quickly - maybe he should have calmed down before the mission instead of getting all battle-crazed just before it!

The creature Nagilum looks suitably alien, and the whole thing feels very much in the vein of the Original Series episodes. But... I'm not sure it quite hits the mark, it's entertaining, but not as accomplished as the last episode, even if the Enterprise does look real nice all lit up in the darkness of Nagilum's 'hole'. At least O'Brien gets a bit more to do!

***

The Child

DVD, TNG S2 (The Child)

An impressive start for the new season, this packs a lot into it's 45 minutes! It's quite exciting to see so many changes, small and large, an affecting story, introduction of new characters, and great moments - the whole package. We begin with suitably rousing music as the Enterprise glides past camera, the main mission of the episode isn't really important, it becomes the background canvas on which the real drama happens.

There seems to be a lack of respect for Captain Picard with both the new doctor, Pulaski, and the man responsible for the stuff they're carrying, seeming very casual with him. Picard's reactions are steamrollered over since he isn't given a chance to respond in either case, which makes for some humour. Questions about Dr. Crusher's name missing from the credits are soon answered as we find she's left to become head of Starfleet Medical, though in reality I believe the character wasn't liked well enough so she was 'let go'. It would have been nice if they could have at least given her a goodbye scene by screen so we could see her reaction to Wesley's decision to stay on board.

The new doc is much more in the McCoy vein with a no-nonsense approach that holds her duty of care higher than protocol, as in Troi's situation. Her scene playing with Data and not taking him seriously is quite similar to Spock and McCoy's exchanges, most likely a deliberate inclusion. That isn't the only link to the previous series, as the script was originally written as a potential episode of the aborted 'Phase II' series in the 70s, so no wonder it was good - they'd had over ten years to polish it! It does seem strange they didn't include Diana Muldaur's name (she'd played two characters in the Original Series) in the opening credits since she's obviously more than a recurring character.

The other important character introduced is one of their best creations - Guinan, played by Whoopi Goldberg. There have been several high profile actors wanting a part in Trek over the years (Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, etc), but few have made it in. Goldberg is probably the most high-profile exception, and her debut here is very good indeed, laying out her mysterious, but playful depth (and the beginning of the cool hats!). It's made clear she's been on the ship for a little while, and seems to know Picard, but apart from that she proves useful to Wesley in helping him realise what's best for his next step in life. The end scene where Picard and Riker tease the lad a bit about whether he can stay is in the same style as the Original Series endings, and gets the season off to a good, upbeat beginning.

Initially we're busily trying to spot all the differences since the last season: Riker's beard; Worf's more imposing brow and change to a gold uniform; likewise for La Forge who's been made Chief Engineer, a post that needed filling throughout Season One; Crusher's absence; Troi's new look, which suits her much more than the previous severe approach. We even get a welcome appearance from O'Brien, albeit a silent one. After seeing 'Star Trek Nemesis' the moment with Riker and Troi together after the baby's born (in what must be the quietest birth you'll ever see on TV!), seemed so right, as if you were glimpsing their future, and made me wish we could have a series with them on the Titan, and see their family develop. Troi stays remarkably calm throughout her experience, and seems to take child-bearing in her stride, though of course there's great sadness when the child leaves.

The effects were excellent, with various interesting directorial choices (such as the fisheye lens from the creatures POV; the focus on Troi during the meeting about this apparent 'threat'; the outside view into Ten Forward, and the effect of going to warp seen from the window; even the window turning opaque at the touch of a button when Troi puts her boy to bed) - the only thing they didn't get right, and it's something that is always wrong whenever episodes deal with an outside entity that swishes through the hull of a ship: the scale. You see this large light flashing around the Enterprise, then when it's inside it's become a tiny little light. Anyway, this episode succeeds on every level and launches the ship and crew into something that you really want to come back to, in a confident and positive way.

***

Drive

DVD, Voyager S7 (Drive)

My memory of this was the over-riding disappointment. It had been billed as this 'Star Wars Episode I'-style racing extravaganza, but it never got close to the adrenaline-packed CGI racing of that film, instead concentrating on a personal story for Tom and B'Elanna. Why set up a visual speed feast, especially since starship racing is an underused concept in Trek, and then not deliver on the racing thrills? Now, of course, I see there's more to it, and enjoyed the definitive bringing together of those two characters.

Probably because I had low expectations, but I enjoyed the crew's interactions, the running joke of poor Harry yet again going for the wrong girl (it's becoming ridiculous, but in a fun way), Neelix doing exactly as I hoped he would do, and in a sequence reminiscent of the times he used to broadcast 'A Briefing With Neelix' to the crew, he does a suitably exciteable commentary over the comm! The aliens looked good (although they reacted rather limply to the end of the race, which should have seen them leaping for joy and cheering), the Starfleet racing togs are stylish, and the few scenes we see of ships racing are well realised.

The only thing still letting the side down is the pacing in a few of the scenes - nowadays they'd be cutting all over the place in a whirl of faces and control panels and buzzing lights and sound. Usually I don't like that style of direction, but it would have suited this scenario perfectly. There are also a few little points that don't make sense: Tuvok wants Janeway to look at his report when she's caught up in the race, and the joke's on him when the race enters a wormhole and so she stops watching and asks the Vulcan if he wants to show her the report now, except he's suddenly become gripped with interest for the race. But they've just entered the wormhole and the race can't be followed so what's he avidly staring at? When did Irina have time to reprogram the new Delta Flyer's sensors so they wouldn't detect the leak? And why was O'Zaal, the authority in charge, happy for Voyager, an unknown ship, to both enter the race and hold the festivities - isn't there a conflict of interest?

Also, when the explosion occurs, Janeway excuses herself, but all O'Zaal does is look midly worried and return to looking out the window. Surely he should be in constant contact with race officials and representatives of the various competing races. Again it's not explained how they managed to so quickly recreate the Flyer after its destruction last season, and makes that event seem meaningless. If they can easily bring back any ship, why should we invest in it at all. Plus I never liked the non-Starfleet protocol, ancient controls, included as a concession to Tom Paris. Always seemed a step into farce.

It's a final disappointment that we don't get to see Torres and Paris married on screen. Technically we saw it in 'Course: Oblivion', but it could have been a fitting cap to an enjoyable episode. Still, for all that, as long as you don't look for too much, the episode has a good run, with most of the character scenes striking chords, whether it's the Doctor wittering on about playing golf at St. Andrews, Seven smartly summing up her reaction to Tom, or B'Elanna talking to Neelix about what's happening. Also interesting to see Cyia Batten out of makeup - she was one of three actresses to play Dukat's daughter Ziyal on 'DS9', and went on to play an Orion slave girl on 'Enterprise'.

***

The Alternate

DVD, DS9 S2 (The Alternate)

For the intensely private Odo, to become the opposite of his reserved, disciplined nature, while also revealing something from his subconcious was a very embarrassing event, and the horror of the episode is not so much in other people's reactions to his Jekyll and Hyde persona, but his own realisation of the fact. Like 'The Passenger' it's a good twist to have the 'villain' one of the good guys, and even more so for it to be the lawman in charge of the investigation (it was successfully repeated in a late 'Voyager' episode with Tuvok).

We get a pleasingly varied story, with all the main characters contributing. There's a jaunt into the Gamma Quadrant (though with no mention of the Dominion), and an exciting planetary sequence. The perils of the crispness of DVD are that we see sometimes too well, as evidenced in the painted backdrop, which, while lavish, is more noticeably artificial, whereas watching on video didn't give that impression. Presumably Blu-Ray makes details like this even more obvious, a sad side-effect of improving technology!

The creepy creature, and the efforts to work out what's happening are good, but the crux of the story is in Odo's buried resentment over the way he was treated as an experiment. It's fascinating to see how he is drawn to Dr. Mora, the man who worked on him, and in a way, brought him up, while he also harbours great distaste for him. Mora comes across as well-meaning, and proud of Odo, as a son. But he doesn't realise the shapeshifter has grown up, and there's real regret and sadness that he never returned to the scientist. The ending is touching, as Mora requests to be a small part of Odo's life from now on, and they really should have followed up on that in a regular way. I believe we occasionally hear of him, but it takes a long time before he returns, yet here he seems to be set up as a potential recurring character.

Something else that is suggested and not followed through with, thankfully, is Sisko's Father. He mentions how he became so weak, and though he doesn't say he died, it seems to be hinted at, yet we later find Joseph is running a restaurant! Then again, he was always shown to be ill so perhaps Sisko was referring to a time when he first became ill. The Infirmary seems to have grown bigger as we see a sickbay-like area with several biobeds like all the other incarnations of Trek, although generally we only see a single bed in a smaller area. Maybe this was an extension that was later made into storage or something? The science lab is again used, as it has been several times this season. It's rare to see it, even though it featured in the pilot, probably because it's supposed to be Dax' domain, yet she's generally at her console in Ops, so it became less necessary to use it.

As always, James Sloyan brings a character so strongly to life. It's great to see that they stuck to continuity with Mora's hair in the same style as Odo's since it had previously been mentioned that he modelled his appearance on the scientist that studied him. They didn't need to mention it, simply included it as a visual reference for those that care! I must recommend the Terok Nor series of books, which goes into the details of some of the events mentioned here, filling in many things we don't know while creating a good story set over the course of the Cardassian Occupation. While the books aren't considered part of official continuity, to which I hold, there will probably never be a definitive answer to questions about the early lives of these characters, so they are a good interpretation of the possibility of what may have happened.

***

Facade

DVD, Smallville S4 (Facade)

"Sounds dangerously close to nostalgia" someone says at one point, and if anything this episode could have been called 'Nostalgia'. Or 'Beauty'. Or, if you're feeling unkind, 'Deja Vu' (or would that count as two words?). It's crazy how Season One/Two this episode feels - not just the freak-of-the-week storyline, though that has been done before in different guises, but Martha wanting to work for a Luthor, and Jonathan having something to say on the matter; Lex Luthor going in and finding someone by Lana's bedside in the SMC - only it's not Clark this time. Chloe buzzing about The Torch. A focus on school life, and Clark in disagreement with his Dad over joining the 'football' team. Even the Talon is planned to reopen! It's all crazy, but it's all crazy-good, not crazy-stupid.

The only letdown is that Eric Johnson's Whitney only features in the teaser, then his name comes up in the opening credits, so you wonder if they'll do another flashback, but they don't. What a great idea! Bring back an old character (one who's died, no less), and show a scene that could have been from the first season - Clark even looked the same. This is the first episode that Pete's absence has stuck out like a sore thumb, as so far since he left we've had wild, sci-fi moments or super-soap, or mad Army encounters. Now we go back to Smallville High and it would have felt so natural for Pete to fall for Abby, then regret his feelings when she turns out to be dangerous - it would surely have been a Pete episode.

Although this is the first one to focus on school in a while, it's also the one with the most real conversations between the Kent family. It made me long for the times of yore when they were like a family and the recurring characters frolicked in the town of the early seasons, and the unbroken to-ing and fro-ing of people making up a believable world. That has long been lost, and it was always the reality that adult characters projected onto the story that contrasted with the bizarre meteorite transformations that made up the bulk of the early series. But it's mean to wallow in the past and try to compare this episode to The Great Times. Of course it can't measure up, just enjoy the nostalgia.

Despite being so backward-looking, the episode proves best for the new characters of Jason and Lois. They both get good moments, which hasn't really been the case in the opening installments. I have the feeling I saw the scene with Clark meeting Jason the coach, as Lana looks on, and maybe some of Clark's football training, but then again we occasionally saw his dreams on that front, so it could have been from an earlier episode. I have to admit, it is purely the elements of the past that make this enjoyable, with the 'that's going a bit far to get rid of spots, isn't it?' beginning, to the feelgood ending (although we have to have a touch of angst thrown in for good measure). You can grit your teeth as teen models orate the importance of inner beauty, but that's nothing new for the series, and the brightness and a little bit of joy improve it no end. If they could only recapture a bit more of the danger, emotion and intense slickness of the period they emulated here, we might get back to something approaching a good series. Might.

***

Rivals

DVD, DS9 S2 (Rivals)

While there's a lot to like, this one falls a bit flat. I think it's in the pacing or the lack of dramatic tension, as exemplified by the teaser: It ends with Martus being put in a holding cell. I thought it would have been better to introduce The Luck Machine (as I like to think the episode would have been called had it been an Original Series entry), and the dying alien in the teaser. Perhaps too much story was given over to a new, and in the grand scheme of the series, minor character - Martus was a bit of a failed conman, even less successful than Quark. At least the Ferengi had established his bar and had a solid foothold on his own life. Martus was a drifter, a pre-'Generations' El-Aurian, a fascinating thing in itself, since it would only be in that film we'd discover the people had been made refugees by the Borg.

Maybe if he had been Guinan's son as was originally planned, with a guest spot from Whoopi Goldberg, the episode might have taken off... But I have the feeling the most entertaining portion of the story was O'Brien and Bashir's sporting rivalry. They could have taken it further, and it was certainly worthy of being the central plot. The two are always fun to watch, and the differences between them were visually amplified by their choice of attire - O'Brien in his casual shirt and shorts, who could have walked out of any modern sports centre; and Bashir with his futuristic, sleek Olympic-wear. I don't think the gambling machines had anything to do with O'Brien's success in the match. I think it was Keiko's headband; something must have given the Chief the feeling he was stronger, faster and felt no pain. And she said it was perfume...

Really it was nice to see Rom and Keiko, and it's always more than the sum when they weave the plots together (such as Martus coming out of Quark's and almost bumping into O'Brien who's jogging in preparation for his big match). My favourite scene is the one where Bashir talks to Dax in the Replimat about how worried he is that O'Brien's going to have a heart attack if he plays again. It's a nice scene, made even better because Bashir is trying to find a pot of sauce for his food. Little things count. I think it's the small scenes, such as O'Brien complaining to his wife, that make the episode watchable, even though it's nothing special.

**

Imperfection

DVD, Voyager S7 (Imperfection)

Where was Naomi Wildman in all this? She was always Seven's special friend, so why wasn't she visiting her or there to see off the Borg children, her friends? Maybe she had measles... or perhaps was in the brig for playing a practical joke on Neelix... or, surely it couldn't be... that the writers forgot about her? I never much liked the Borg children, or Icheb for that matter, but it was somehow a little sad to see the kids leave, because they were special to Seven. And Icheb was well used, risking his life for her.

I'm not sure it was advisable for them to do another Borg-centred story right after a two-parter featuring them, and the weakest part was in that attempt to take a dead Borg brain. The alien attackers look like Kazon who've had a haircut, and though the Flyer's escape was daring and fast, the sequence looked heavily CGI, as did that early shot of Voyager and the ship which came to take the Borg children, showing that the computer effects don't always hit the mark even with some amazing sequences in the past.

Thankfully the episode concentrates on what Trek does best: character studies. The interactions between various crewmembers as Seven prepares to die, has plenty of drama, and though you might expect a tragic outcome (set up by the other Borg moving on), it all ends happily, which, sometimes is a good thing. I'm probably forgetting something, but I had the feeling the Delta Flyer went boom-boom, but they must have mentioned a replacement at some time. It's too early to say how this season measures up to the last, as Janeway, the Doctor and Seven are characters the writers usually get right. At least they're getting the usual good stuff flowing, but let's see the other characters shine.

***